


Nothing's Gonna Change My World

by justyrae



Series: cat nouis [5]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Human!Harry, Human!Liam, M/M, Wedding Planning, cat!Zayn, cat!louis, cat!niall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-20 20:23:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17629064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justyrae/pseuds/justyrae
Summary: Things are changing again and Louis doesn't like it.





	Nothing's Gonna Change My World

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dearmrsawyer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearmrsawyer/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR JAMILA!!
> 
> can you believe i started this series a whole year ago on this very day?? and now, here it is: the fifth and final installment.
> 
> the biggest of hugs to **tomlinsong** for being this series' number 1 fan. pls never stop sending me cat posts.

Louis isn't used to so much activity in the house. He remembers Anne and Gemma coming over a lot to see him and Niall and Zayn (and Harry, maybe) a while ago, but that was different. They spent their time in the kitchen, cooking up all sorts of things that smelled good and if Louis was very good (which he always is, obviously), then he usually would get to have some too.

Or, they'd sit in the living room with Harry and all three kitties would have laps to nap on. Louis liked that especially, except when there was a lot of sniffling going around. Louis had to institute human duty on those days, meaning all three cats had to be on alert to make sure nobody was sniffling. Lots of cuddles and rubbing of noses to ensure maximum human happiness. Louis is an expert at this sort of thing.

Anyway, Anne and Gemma are around a lot lately, but Louis doesn't like it as much. They've taken over the big table in the room that Harry and Liam hardly ever use, and they don't pay nearly enough attention to Louis and the others. Sometimes Louis or Niall will try to jump onto the table, because they're allowed to do that since Harry and Liam don't use it, but now the rules have changed! It's not fair. Anne and Gemma are always telling them to get down and it's just not fair.

Louis knows they're keeping something fun up there. They wouldn't be trying to keep them off the table if it wasn't especially fun for kitties. Louis knows how these things work.

 _Hey_ , Louis meows as he paws at Anne's leg. _Lemme see._

Anne sticks her hand under the table for Louis to rub against, which is great and all, but it isn't what he wanted.

 _Hey, wait. No._ Louis paws at her leg again. _I wanna get up there. Lemme get up there._

 _What're you doing?_ Niall appears under Anne's chair and tilts his head as he looks at Louis.

 _I'm trying to get onto Anne's lap_. Louis gets up on his hind legs and paws at her again. _She's not paying attention._

"Hush, Lou," Harry says as he leans down from his chair, gently pushing Louis away from Anne's legs. "Be a good boy."

 _I'm always a good boy_. Louis swishes his tail. _You should know that._

 _Did you see the fluffy stuff Gemma brought today?_ Niall joins Louis under Harry's chair. _It looked so soft. I want it for naps._

 _Okay._ Louis' tail swishes back and forth as he tries to come up with a plan. _I'll get it for you._

 _What are you getting for Niall?_ Zayn slinks under the table and comes to a stop in front of them, taking a moment to clean his paws.

 _The fluffy stuff._ Louis doesn't see the look of indignation on Zayn's face, he's too busy staring up at the underside of the table as he plots his move.

_The what?_

_The stuff Gemma brought!_ Niall faux-pounces onto Zayn, rubbing up against his side. _I thought it'd be good for naps._

 _You're going to get in trouble._ Zayn purrs lightly as he licks the top of Niall's head. Niall immediately shuts his eyes and starts purring as well.

_I am not. They won't even know I'm up there._

_How are you going to manage that?_ Louis looks at Zayn and swishes his tail.

_You're going to distract them._

Zayn blinks at Louis, but he doesn't object. Louis knew he'd be on board.

It's not all that hard to set up the distraction, but it doesn't go as well as Louis had planned. He manages to get up onto the table and grabs the fluffy stuff in his mouth, but Gemma spots him before he can make his escape. A chase ensues, and unfortunately Louis loses all of the fluffy stuff in the scuffle.

All three cats are shut up in the bedroom as punishment, which means Louis has to endure the smug look on Zayn's face.

_I told you so._

_Shut up_. Louis curls up on Harry's pillow and sinks his claws into the fluff. _It almost worked_.

 _Thanks for trying_ , Niall meows as he curls up next to Louis. Zayn follows suit, head-butting Louis before he makes himself comfortable.

*

Anne and Gemma don't bring over fluffy stuff anymore. Or, if they do, they've gotten really good at hiding it from the cats. Louis avoids Gemma for a few days after the chase. He's still a bit miffed about not being able to secure the fluffy stuff for Niall and he blames Gemma.

All is forgiven when she gives him treats, though. Louis spends the rest of the afternoon on her lap, purring contentedly.

Things do start to get a bit busier as the days go by. The cats are constantly interrupted during nap time by people coming into the house; people they've never seen before with weird smells that make Louis' tail very bushy indeed.

Zayn mostly hides from everyone, choosing to remain in the sanctuary of the bedroom upstairs. Louis would probably join him if not for Niall always needing to meet everybody who comes into the house. There was one lady who actually ran the other way when Niall came to meet her, and Louis had to try very, very hard not to retaliate. (Actually, he was absolutely going to retaliate but then Harry put both of them in the bedroom with Zayn and shut the door. Louis can do a lot of things but doorknobs are still a mystery to him.)

Nobody doesn't like Niall. It's a rule. Louis is the enforcer just in case anyone forgets.

That same day Liam comes home with something none of the cats have ever seen before. All three watch from the bed as he tries very hard to put it in the closet. It takes a good while, because for some reason Liam doesn't seem to want to hurt it.

Louis doesn't trust whatever that thing is. He's going to investigate it as soon as Liam leaves the room. He has to know what Liam's brought into his house.

Once he's satisfied with the placement, Liam purposefully closes the closet door and turns around to face the kitties.

"Don't go poking around," he warns, shaking his finger at them. As if that's going to dissuade Louis from doing exactly what he wants to do. "You know what curiosity did to the cat."

As soon as he leaves the room, Niall turns to Louis.

_What did it do?_

_I dunno what he's talking about._

Louis jumps down from the bed and makes his way towards the closet. It has a doorknob, but it's not like the other doorknobs in the house. Louis has figured out a way to get into the closet without having to figure out the stupid doorknob.

He pushes his face into the tiny space between the sliding doors to the closet until they both start to move. It takes a bit of time and patience, but Louis really wants to know what Liam put in the closet.

Niall climbs off the bed and joins Louis in the investigation, helping to push one door to the side of the closet once Louis widens the gap between them.

 _You're going to get us all into trouble again_.

Louis turns around to look at Zayn, who's still on the bed but he's watching Louis and Niall with a careful stare. Louis swishes his tail around and turns back to the closet.

_I just want to see._

Louis gets up on his hind legs and starts pawing at the thing Liam brought home. It feels weird but not _that_ weird. Maybe Louis has felt this sort of thing before and he just doesn't remember it. It's soft and smooth under his paw, and it moves easily when he pushes against it.

Just as a test, Louis sinks his claws into it and finds that they're met with little to no resistance at all. This, while intriguing, still doesn't answer his question of what the thing actually is.

 _What is it?_ Niall stands up on his hind legs and sniffs at the thing while Louis pulls his claws back.

 _Dunno._ Louis bats at it with his paw and they hear a rustle inside of it.

 _Something's in there_. Niall's tail starts twitching and he backs away a little bit.

 _Come back up here_. Zayn yawns and settles back down into a comfortable position. _Leave that thing alone_.

Niall starts making his way back towards the bed, but Louis doesn't. He's still curious. He wants to know what Liam didn't want them to see.

 _Just one more look_.

Louis gets back up on his hind legs and claws at the thing again, but this time his claws don't come out so easily. He tries pulling them free, but it's no use. He's stuck.

 _Oh no._ Louis starts tugging a little more frantically. _I'm stuck._

 _Oh, Louis._ Zayn huffs out a breath. _Now you've done it._

_I'm stuck!! Help me!!_

_Zayn, what do we do?_ Niall cries.

_Come over here and help me!!_

_Calm down, Lou, or you'll get--_

Suddenly there's footsteps coming up the stairs and Louis starts panicking. He desperately tries to get his claws free but they just won't come out.

"What's going on in--" Liam pauses in the doorway and sighs heavily. "Louis, you little menace."

_Liam, I'm stuck. It's this thing's fault. Make it stop._

"Didn't I tell you not to poke around?" Liam says as he kneels down next to Louis and carefully helps him get his claws back. "You never listen, do you?"

 _I wanted to see the thing._ Louis swishes his tail and meows right in Liam's face.

"I'll take that to mean thank you," Liam says as he scoops Louis into his arms and quickly deposits him onto the bed. "Now, since you're _so curious_ , I'll show you."

 _See?_ Louis purrs happily as he curls up next to Zayn and Niall. _My plan worked._

Liam carefully takes the thing back out of the closet and shows the cats that there's a zipper up at the top, which he pulls down to reveal what's inside.

Even Louis has to admit that he's slightly disappointed to see that it's just more clothing. All that effort and it's not even all that interesting.

"See?" Liam says as he takes one of the sleeves and brandishes it towards the cats. "Just a couple of suits. Nothing too weird. But--" he says as he zips them back up, "--you're not allowed to get fuzz all over them, okay? They're for a special occasion."

 _My fur is a special occasion_. Louis twitches his tail. The suits Liam showed them look remarkably like the clothes he and Harry had to wear a while back. The cats weren't allowed to get any fur on those either. Louis didn't like those clothes.

 _Are you satisfied?_ Zayn stretches and his paws knock against Louis' side.

_I guess._

_Liam really likes those clothes_. Niall watches with rapt attention as Liam carefully puts the thing back in the closet and closes the doors again. He pauses for a moment, seeming to consider the cats before he makes another decision.

A moment later, he's taken one of Harry's hair ties that he keeps in a drawer (that the cats have been unable to break into thus far) and loops it around the doorknobs on the closet.

"There," he says proudly as he admires his work. "Now you curious kitties can't cause any more trouble."

Louis swishes his tail and watches as Liam leaves the room.

 _That's what you think_.

*

It's been so long since Liam showed Louis and the others the suits that he hid in the closet, Louis hardly remembers that they were there at all. Also, he's far too busy being annoyed at the hustle and bustle that started in the house _far_ too early for a Saturday morning.

With all the noise coming from downstairs, Louis thinks there has to be at least a hundred people down there. He's not surprised one bit that Zayn is completely unbothered by all the noise, but he would've thought that Niall would've woken up by now. He gently prods Niall's nose with his paw and Niall starts to stir, blinking slowly when he opens his eyes.

 _What're you doing?_ Niall yawns sleepily.

_Don't you hear all that noise?_

_What noise?_ Niall blinks again. _I was sleeping_.

 _Alright,_ Louis licks the top of Niall's head. _Go back to sleep._

 _Okay_. Niall closes his eyes and settles back down, leaving Louis to investigate on his own. But to his surprise, he finds that all of the noise downstairs is coming from _just_ Harry and Liam.

Louis is absolutely not happy.

 _What are you doing?_ Louis trots down the stairs and starts following Harry around, meowing incessantly at his heels.

Harry's hardly even paying attention to him. He keeps talking to Liam, who's just as distracted as Harry is, and neither of them seem to care that Louis is demanding an answer.

_You're both too loud. It's Saturday. Saturdays are for sleeping._

"Excuse me, Lou!" Harry says as he hops over Louis, forcing Louis to have to change course quickly in order to follow.

_No, you come back here and tell me what's going on._

"Harry, my mum's coming any minute!" Liam shouts after him, and Louis' ears perk up. He likes Liam's mum. She gives him treats.

"I know! I swear, two seconds!"

Louis finds himself caught in the middle. He wants to follow Harry and pester him until Harry tells him what's going on, but he also wants to stay nearby Liam so he can be first in line for pets. It's quite the dilemma and much too much for a Saturday.

 _WHY ISN'T SOMEONE PAYING ATTENTION TO ME?_ Louis howls.

"Oh my god, Louis!" Liam says, chuckling lightly as he kneels down next to him. "You poor thing, so starved for attention, aren't you?"

 _I don't like your tone._ Louis glares at Liam but allows him to keep petting. Louis will put up with an awful lot if it means getting pets or even better, treats.

"Found it!" Harry shouts from upstairs. He comes barreling down the stairs and Louis actually hides behind Liam because of the startling noise Harry makes.

"You scared Louis!" Liam says in astonishment.

 _Did not. I was… looking for something._ Louis peeks out from behind Liam and sees Harry's face drop into a frown as he gets down on the carpet with Liam.

"I'm sorry, Lou," he says as he holds out his hand. "I didn't mean to."

Louis rubs his head against Harry's hand and purrs a little. _It's alright. You're here now._

There's a sudden knock at the door and Louis jumps again. He doesn't like this day one bit.

"That'll be Mum." Liam gets up from the floor and much to Louis' dismay, Harry does too.

"Here you are," Harry says as he hands over whatever he'd been rushing to get. Louis doesn't care what it is, he only cares that neither Harry nor Liam are petting him.

 _Excuse me, I need more attention_. Louis starts rubbing up against Harry's legs but it doesn't work as quickly as it normally does when Louis wants pets.

"When's Gemma coming by?" Liam asks.

"In half an hour, or so." There's a pause and then Harry speaks again, "I know, I know."

"Just be on time," Liam says, and suddenly his feet are close enough to Louis that he can rub up against Liam's legs _and_ Harry's. "You can't be late to your own wedding, you know."

"I don't think they'd start without me," Harry answers with a laugh.

 _Hey! Down here! Give me pets!_ Louis howls again and both Harry and Liam look down at him.

"You sure we can't bring them along?" Harry asks wistfully. He quickly bends down and scoops Louis into his arms and holds him up to Liam's face.

"This one would destroy all the nice decorations your mum picked out," Liam says as he scratches just the right spot behind Louis' ear.

 _I don't know what you're talking about,_ Louis purrs. _Unless it's fluffy. Then maybe._

"He'd be on his best behavior," Harry insists. "They all would be."

"If you say so," Liam replies as he leans over and kisses Harry. Louis is only mildly squished between them, but it's enough to be annoying and he cries out.

"So does that mean…?"

Liam hisses as Louis swipes at him, but it works out because Liam takes a step back and Louis isn't being squished anymore.

"Absolutely not," Liam replies, taking Louis' tail and shaking it in his own face.

_Hey, stop that. That's mine._

"Spoilsport."

"They'll be happier at home, Haz. You'll see."

There's another loud knock at the door and Liam curses under his breath. He gives Harry another quick kiss on the cheek before he runs out of the room, calling over his shoulder as he goes.

"See you soon! Don't be late!"

Harry laughs as the door closes behind Liam, and he lifts Louis up so their faces are right in front of each other. Louis puts his paw on Harry's chin and twitches his whiskers.

"Liam's quite silly, isn't he?"

 _Dunno why you keep him around._ Louis moves his paw to Harry's nose and it makes him laugh again. _I'm much better._

"C'mon, Lou. Let's go see what the others are up to."

 _They're in bed, which is where we should be_.

Harry carries Louis up the stairs and back into the bedroom, and Louis purrs the whole way.

*

Things are changing again and Louis doesn't like it. He could've sworn that after the last time they moved to a new house, Harry had said they wouldn't move again. Louis has been trying to remind Harry of this, but it hasn't worked. He can't stop the boxes from taking over.

Liam's no help either, given that he's not around most days. At first Louis didn't even care, he was just glad to have Harry all to himself again. After all the madness that came about before Harry and Liam's wedding (whatever that was), it's nice to be back to a routine. Anne and Gemma don't come by nearly as often, and they certainly don't bring around fluffy stuff that the cats aren't allowed to have.

Harry promised that things were back to normal. But boxes mean a new house _again_ and Louis doesn't like that one bit.

He'd gotten used to the routine once Harry started staying home all the time. He'd wake up, have breakfast with Niall and Zayn, then they'd all curl up on the couch with Harry and nap until lunchtime. Then they'd repeat until Liam came home and it was time for dinner, and then it was bedtime. Louis likes that routine. He wants that routine back.

Now Harry doesn't spend nearly enough time on the couch, and it's very disruptive when Louis and the others are trying to nap.

Of course, Niall doesn't seem to mind. He's so curious about what Harry's doing that he insists on following him around all day long. Even if it means no naps! Louis thinks he's positively mad, but on the other paw, it means he knows what's going on with Harry without having to investigate himself.

Louis and Niall both worry about Zayn, though. Neither of them want a repeat of what happened when Harry went away, so they try their best to give him as much love and attention as they can. Strangely, Harry picks up on it as well and does the same.

(No matter what the other cats say, Louis is absolutely not jealous that Harry carries Zayn around sometimes. Louis knows he's the favorite cat, even if he never says so to the other two. Zayn just needs a bit more attention sometimes and that's fine. Louis definitely doesn't hide more of Harry's socks than usual as retaliation, that's just silly.)

Things start getting complicated when the boxes show up. Niall's curiosity gets him into trouble more often than not, and Louis finds that it gets progressively harder to spend all day napping when Niall keeps getting himself stuck in boxes.

 _Louis?_ Niall meows. Louis opens one eye and scans the living room. He heard the telltale thump of Niall falling into a box, but he was hoping that maybe this time Niall wouldn't be stuck.

_Are you in another box?_

_Yes._

_Are you stuck?_

_Yes,_ Niall meows sadly. Louis hears scratching and Niall starts to cry. _Please help!_

 _I'm coming_. Louis rouses himself from his cozy spot and stretches before jumping down off the couch and heading into the kitchen to investigate.

Harry's distracted, like he has been for the last couple of days, which means it's up to Louis to get Niall out of the box. Louis finds Zayn curled up on one of the chairs at the kitchen table, and he takes a swipe at Zayn's tail.

_Couldn't you have helped?_

Zayn opens his eyes and huffs. _I told him not to._

_Because that's stopped him before._

_He did_ , Niall meows. _I didn't listen._

 _You never do_. Louis gets up on his hind legs to peer over the side of the box, finding Niall among a bunch of packing materials that make it infinitely harder for him to escape.

 _I'm sorry, I just wanted to see what was inside the box_.

_It's okay. Come here._

Niall gets as close to the side of the box as he can and Louis catches him by the scruff of his neck, pulling him out of the box while just narrowly avoiding tipping the whole thing over.

 _Now will you listen to us and stay out of boxes?_ Louis licks the top of Niall's head comfortingly and Niall leans into it.

_Yes, Louis._

Niall's got a couple bits of packing material stuck to his fur so Louis helps him get them off, even though one gets stuck to his own paw and he has to shake it several times before it actually comes off. By the time they've gotten Niall back to his normal self, Harry's no longer distracted. In fact, he lies down on the floor and gets on their level, giving Louis the perfect opportunity to rub up against his face.

"Hi, Lou," Harry says, laughing when Louis' whiskers tickle his nose. "Thank you for helping Niall out of the box."

 _I couldn't just leave him in there_.

"Such a curious kitty," Harry says as he rubs the fur behind Niall's ears. Niall immediately starts purring, chasing Harry's hand for more pets. "You're gonna love the new house."

 _I don't want to go to a new house_ , Niall meows. _I like this one._

 _You promised_. Louis paws at Harry's face. _You said we wouldn't move again_.

Harry shifts around, rolling onto his back as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. He makes a delighted sound as he rolls back onto his stomach and shows the screen to the kitties.

"Hi Liam!" he says. Louis and Niall both peer at the screen to see Liam's face, and Niall immediately tries to headbutt him.

_What's he doing in there?_

_I don't know. It's weird._ Louis rubs against the phone. _Maybe he's stuck._

"Hi Harry," Liam says, laughing. "Hi Niall, hi Louis. Where's Zayn?"

"He's sleeping under the kitchen table," Harry replies. "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on him."

"Good. I don't want him getting stuck somewhere again."

"I know, you've only said it a hundred times."

 _I wasn't stuck_ , Zayn huffs.

 _Same difference_. Louis' tail twitches.

"Niall, stop it," Harry laughs, "you're gonna hang up on Liam!"

_I wanna see him! Why's he in there? Why isn't he here?_

"Tell him I'll be home soon," Liam replies. "Brez and I are almost done for the day here."

"Good," Harry says. "I miss you." Niall headbutts the phone again and Harry laughs. "We all do."

 _Lies_. Louis' tail twitches again, and this time it smacks Harry in the eye.

"Louis!"

*

None of the cats are great with the concept of time, they mostly measure it in terms of how long Harry or Liam are gone from the house. And if asked, it's always _forever_.

That being said, Louis thinks the time between when the boxes showed up and when they were all full was way too short. He doesn't want to move. Niall and Zayn don't want to move either, but it looks like they don't have much of a choice. According to what they've heard from Liam and Harry, it's happening tomorrow.

Honestly, they're all just grateful there's still a bed to sleep on. Louis just wishes Harry and Liam would stop talking so they could actually fall asleep.

"I can't believe it's here," Harry says as he shifts around under the covers, jostling Niall where he's curled up near Harry's feet. "We're moving again."

"It's our dream house," Liam replies, shifting closer to Harry. His movement jostles both Zayn and Louis, but Zayn doesn't seem all that bothered. Louis, however, is not pleased.

 _Stop it_. He swipes at Liam's leg. _I'm trying to sleep, here_.

"Do you really think the kitties will like it?" Harry asks as he reaches down to pet Louis' head.

_Harry stop-- actually, that feels good. Keep doing that._

"I think they'll love it." Liam puts his hand on Louis' back and holds it there. "They'd better, or else Brez and I did all that work for nothing."

 _Either pet me or don't touch me_. Louis opens his eyes and glares at Liam.

"Will Bressie be there tomorrow?" Harry asks.

"He said he wanted to do a couple last minute things, but--" Liam takes his hand back and Louis shivers, ruffling his fur until it's back to normal. "Why d'you ask?"

"No reason," Harry answers quickly.

"Haz."

"You spent _months_ with him, Li." Harry huffs a little and draws Louis closer to him, despite Louis' meows of resistance. "All big and manly and handsome," he mutters into Louis' fur.

_Harry, I was comfy!!_

"Not this again," Liam says, groaning. He leans in to kiss Harry, nudging Louis out of the way even though Harry's still got a firm grip on him.

_Stop it. Let me go. I wanna go back down there!_

Louis wriggles around until Harry lets him go, and he whacks them both in the face with his tail as he marches back down towards the foot of the bed to join Niall and Zayn.

 _What's going on?_ Niall yawns sleepily.

_Nothing. Go back to sleep._

_Okay._ Niall blinks tiredly a few times but settles right back down when Louis curls up close.

"You're ridiculous," Liam whispers. "I love _you_ , you numpty."

"I know," Harry whispers back with a laugh. "I just like when you remind me."

"You're a menace," Liam says just before Louis reaches out and swipes at where Liam's toes are shifting under the covers. "Ow!"

"Louis," Harry says in a stern voice, but it's interrupted by a yawn and Louis purrs in a self-satisfied manner.

_You're too noisy. It's bedtime._

"He takes after you," Liam whispers. "You're both menaces."

"And you love us," Harry whispers back before he reaches over and shuts off the light.

*

The bed shifts around underneath Louis, waking him up even though he's definitely supposed to be sleeping for a while longer. He opens one eye and looks around, seeing nothing but darkness where Liam and Harry were when he fell asleep. He thinks about investigating for a few seconds but ends up favoring going back to sleep instead.

Louis doesn't actually get to fall back asleep, because before he's able to he's being picked up off the bed. He's still a little groggy so he can't squirm around as much as he'd like, but it's still enough to catch Harry off guard.

"Louis, no," he whispers, "stop that."

_You stop it. Put me down!_

Harry does put him down, but it's not where Louis wants. He doesn't see the carrier until it's too late and Harry's already put him inside and zips up the top so he can't get out.

_Harry, come back here! Let me out!_

_Louis?_ Niall's tired and scared meow comes not seconds later. _What's going on?_

Louis shifts around in his carrier until he can see that Niall's is right across from his own, and he's trembling. Zayn's still asleep from what Louis can tell; all he sees is a big black lump in a third carrier next to Niall's.

 _It's alright, Niall. Everything's going to be alright_.

Niall jumps when there's a loud thumping coming up the stairs, far too heavy to be either Harry or Liam. He curls into a ball and starts crying, and Louis starts clawing at his carrier to try and rip it open so he can get out. Niall needs him!

"It's okay, kitties!" Harry's voice comes from another room. "Everything's okay!"

Louis hears much lighter footsteps and soon enough, Harry's face comes into view between his carrier and Niall's. Louis pulls his claws out of the side of the carrier and meows loudly right in Harry's dumb face.

_Let us out!_

"You're safe in there," he tells both Louis and Niall, but the look on his face doesn't give them much in the way of reassurance. "Liam!" he shouts as he sits back on his heels.

"Yeah?" Liam shouts back, clearly far enough away that he can't appear next to them like Harry did. Louis is blaming Liam for this, it must've been his idea.

"Are you sure it's okay to keep them in the carriers all day?"

 _All day?!_ Louis meows angrily. _You let me out of here right now!!_

"Yes, Harry, it's okay! They'll be fine!"

"Okay," Harry says more quietly than before. He leans back down and sticks his fingers through the holes in Louis' carrier, and Louis immediately rubs his face against them.

 _Harry, I don't like it in here. Let me out_.

"I know, I know." Harry takes his hand away and does the same for Niall and Zayn, even though Zayn is most definitely asleep and has no idea what's going on. "It'll be worth it, I promise."

Louis remembers Harry saying this hours later when they've been stuck in the car for ages and he is very, very upset. So far, being in his carrier has definitely not been worth it.

 _Harry,_ he meows loudly. _Harry, I don't want to be in here anymore._

"It's okay, Louis!"

_No it's not. We've been in here for ages and I want out!_

_Yeah,_ Niall meows too. _I don't wanna be in here either._

Zayn, predictably, is still asleep. But Louis is sure if he were awake, he'd be saying the same thing.

"It's alright, kitties, we'll be there soon," Harry says as he turns around from the seat in front of them and reaches back to stick his fingers into their carriers for comfort rubs.

Niall doesn't start crying again when Harry takes his fingers back. He curls up towards the front of his carrier and tries to go to sleep. Louis, on the other hand, has different plans.

 _Harry_ , he meows angrily. _Harry, I don't like this._

"Poor kitty," Harry says as he tries to pet Louis through the carrier.

 _Open this thing and let me out_.

"I told you we shouldn't have put them in there so early," Harry says, once again removing his fingers from Louis' carrier.

It takes about ten seconds before Louis is practically screeching and Harry has to repeat the process all over again. Liam glances back at him and shakes his head.

"He's doing it for attention, you know that."

"They've all been cooped up all day!" Harry replies. "You'd need attention too, y'know."

 _I just want out of this stupid thing_ , Louis meows sadly.

"It's okay, Lou." Harry smiles at him. "You're my good boy, aren't you?"

_Maybe. If you let me out of here, I will be._

"Just a little longer, okay? Then you never have to be in this carrier again."

_Promise?_

"Well--" Liam starts, but he quickly shuts his mouth.

"Never again," Harry says pointedly.

Louis shifts around until he's all pressed up against the front of the carrier, giving Harry optimal access to pet him. It's awkward but comforting all the same, and Louis finds it much easier to fall asleep when Harry's touching him.

He just hopes that when he wakes up it'll be to Harry taking him out of the stupid carrier once and for all.

*

Louis wakes up when he's jostled against the side of his carrier. He meows in frustration and tiredly looks around at his surroundings, realizing fairly quickly that he's no longer in the car.

_Niall? Zayn?_

He can't see either of them. All he sees when he looks out of his carrier is green. He's never seen so much green before, not even those few times he's been outside. It's very weird indeed, and Louis can't decide if he likes it or not.

 _Harry?_ Louis meows loudly, the sort of meow he reserves for when he really wants attention. (It's used most every day, but that's besides the point.)

"Lou," Harry says as he lifts the carrier up so Louis can see his face. "Here I am, you silly kitty."

 _Good._ Louis paws at the front of his carrier. _Let me out already._

"Just another minute," Harry says as he turns the carrier around and lets Louis see where they're going. There's a stone pathway leading up to a door, and Liam's standing near it with someone that Louis doesn't know.

But he spots two carriers sitting close by and a wave of relief washes over him. Niall and Zayn must still be asleep, is all. They're here, and they're safe.

"How long til the movers get here?" Louis' ears perk up as Harry moves closer to Liam and this new person, whose voice Louis sort of knows but he doesn't understand why.

"Not for another couple of hours," Liam says.

"Hiya Brez," Harry says, and Louis' carrier gets jostled around again.

 _Harry_ , he meows angrily, _let me out_.

"Harry," Liam says with a sigh, "you can put Louis down, y'know."

"Is this one Louis?"

 _Who are you?_ Louis paws at the face he doesn't recognize, but he can't get to it through the carrier.

"Hi there," the man says as he gently rubs his fingers against where Louis' paw is pressed up against the carrier. "Heard a lot about you, y'know."

 _Let me out_.

"I think he likes you," Harry says proudly, lifting Louis' carrier again so his face comes into view. "Do you, Lou? Do you like Bressie?"

_What's a Bressie?_

_Louis?_ Niall meows suddenly. _Louis, where are you?_

"Now you've done it," Liam says, sounding a bit put out but then he laughs. "They're like children, honestly."

_I'm here, Niall._

_Where? I can't see you._

"Well, c'mon then," Bressie says, and Louis hears a door open. "Let's let them explore the place a bit."

"Grab Niall, would you?" Liam says.

Louis' carrier lurches forward as Harry goes through the doorway, and a whole new set of smells set Louis off into a curious tailspin.

_Where are we? Let me out. I want to see what's going on._

"Okay, okay," Harry says as he carefully sets Louis' carrier down on the floor and undoes the latch, letting the door swing open.

Louis sticks his head out at once, but he pauses before exiting his carrier completely. This must be the new house, but none of their old stuff is here. This isn't like last time.

_Harry where's the sofa? Where's all our toys?_

_What's going on?_ Niall meows. Louis turns around to see Niall poking out of his own carrier, staring up at Bressie who's still standing over him. _Who's that?_

_That's Bressie._

_What's a Bressie?_

_I dunno._

Louis looks around and sees Zayn slowly peeking out of his carrier, obviously hesitant of their new surroundings.

"What do you think, kitties?" Liam asks, reaching down to scratch Zayn's ears.

 _Smells weird._ Zayn leans into Liam's touch.

 _Very empty._ Louis looks up at Harry, expecting the same treatment Zayn's getting.

 _What's all the stuff along the walls?_ Niall climbs onto Bressie's foot and starts pawing at his leg. It's what he does to Liam and Harry when he wants to be picked up, and it works like a charm even on Bressie.

"Aren't you a little thing?" Bressie says as Niall rubs his face against Bressie's chin.

"Think Brez might have to stick around," Harry says with a laugh as he scoops Louis into his arms and starts walking towards one of the walls.

 _What are these things?_ Louis wonders.

"Look, Lou," Harry says as he gently places Louis down. "Look what Liam and Brez built for you. Ledges!"

_What's a ledge?_

"And you've got tunnels and ramps and all sorts of things," Harry goes on, leading Louis' gaze with his hands. From up high, Louis can see even more of the house and there's tons of these ledges things all over the place.

Curiosity strikes and he carefully climbs up onto the next one, and to the next and the next after that until he's very high off the floor indeed. He doesn't look down, though, not when there's so much more to look at from where he is.

He explores all around the house from up on the things that Liam and Bressie built, and eventually Zayn and Niall both follow his lead and explore on their own.

Truth be told, it's paradise.

 _I like this house_ , Niall meows once he's found Louis again.

 _It's not bad._ Louis starts cleaning one of his paws and Zayn jumps down from one of the ledges above them.

 _Lots of good nap spots_. He rubs up against Niall and starts purring. _This might not be so bad after all._

Zayn slinks off soon after, with Niall at his heels. Louis thinks about following, but instead he follows the sound of Harry and Liam's voices back into the other room.

He finds a good spot perched above their heads where he can see almost every part of the room. Bressie seems to have disappeared, but Louis is more interested in what Harry and Liam are doing to care much about it.

"Bressie said he'd help me set up the clinic, as well," Liam says.

"And the shelter?"

"Haz…"

"Think about all the cats we could help," Harry replies as he twists his arms around Liam's waist.

 _Cats?_ Louis' fur bristles.

"Help, _not_ adopt," Liam says firmly. "Three is plenty."

_No new cats._

"Fair enough," Harry replies. "Ours are perfect. Just like this house."

_That's more like it._

"I'm glad you like it," Liam says as he pulls Harry in for a kiss. "I'm glad something good came out of--"

"Liam--"

"I'm just saying."

Louis' ears perk up at the shift in Liam's tone of voice, but he stays perfectly still on his perch. It reminds him of when Harry came home from the hospital. He didn't like that tone then, and he doesn't like it now, either.

"I almost lost you," Liam says, and his voice shakes a little.

"But you didn't," Harry says. "I'm right here, in this beautiful house, with you."

 _And me_.

"And Louis, Niall, and Zayn."

_Exactly._

"Exactly," Harry says, smiling widely. "All of this is because of you, y'know. It was your idea."

"It was your money, I don't--"

"Liam," Harry gently interrupts, "it's _our_ money that _we_ spent on _our_ house."

"Alright, alright." Liam chuckles and kisses Harry again. "If you say so."

"I do say so."

Louis tilts his head and watches as Liam turns, still holding onto Harry but he looks off into the house as though he's looking at something in particular. Louis has no idea what, considering there's absolutely nothing in the house to look at apart from all the stuff for the cats.

"I think the cats like it, do you?"

"I think it's perfect," Harry says. "You did great, Li."

_You did all this for us?_

"I just want them to be happy." Liam sighs contentedly. "I want all of us to be happy."

"And we will be," Harry says in agreement.

Louis chooses this moment to drop down from his perch onto Liam's shoulders, taking both Liam and Harry by complete surprise. There's a half a second where Louis thinks he might actually fall down to the floor, but then there's a steadying hand at his side and Liam doesn't let him lose his balance.

"Hey, Lou," Harry says as he rubs Louis behind the ears. "Sneaky cat."

_You know it._

"What d'you think of the house, Lou?" Liam asks as he rubs Louis' side. "Reckon you wanna stay?"

Louis turns his head towards Liam's, pulling away from Harry's hand before he rubs his face right against Liam's.

 _Yeah_ , he purrs.

"Told you," Harry whispers.

"Might've finally won him over," Liam says with a soft laugh.

 _You're okay with me_ , Louis tells him. _You can stay, too._

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://astorytotellyourfriends.tumblr.com)


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